Loading my horse for her first time

[Blondie1]

Hi,

I have a 4 1/2 year old mare who was backed 6 months ago and that was a breeze. She took everything in her stride and we have had no mishaps. So want to continue her positive experiences when I try loading her for the first time.

Can anyone offer advice on the best way to approach this please? I have so many conflicting opinions so a little confused.

I have a Bahill trailer (front unload) which is all White inside so hopefully inviting for her : )

I was thinking of starting off just feeding her on the ramp. Then asking a bit more each time. Others have said not to bother and start trying to load straight off.

Do I take the partition out? As have been advised to get her walking straight through to begin with and then build up the length of time she stands in there.

I really hope you guys can offer some advice as would like to start this week.

Thanks in advance and hope you all had a lovely Christmas xxxx

 

[becca1305]

Personally if shes been very straightforward with life up to now i would take the partition out load her up and go for a very short drive and upon arrival home give her a small feed in trailer before offloading.

If you can back the trailer in so there isnt a gap on each side that would be best and calmly lead her up. If not I would use 2 people with lunge lines each side (kept nice and still as guide lines) as its best to make it clear what you want and so they are less likely to think about going to the side.

When i collected my all but unhandled 2yo the stud had me reverse the lorry up to american barn entrance totally filling the gap and she was onboard almost instantly only hesitating once. She then travelled a 3hour journey foot perfect and tootled off the ramp nicely on arrival. I think if they are straightforward brained its best to adopt a simple quietly crack on approach tbh .

The stud recommended travelling loose as its more inviting for loading (and also because shed never been tied up). Apparently nearly all youngstock are travelled like this including expensive young racehorses as it keeps them calmest and teaches them to learn to balance . In a trailer with a 4yo id probably tie her up loosely so she cant turn round but still have the partition out so she learns to balance. Before we got the lorry my competition mare had to travel partitionless as she forgot how to travel, leaned against the partitions and wouldnt stand up properly. She always travelled beautifully and quietly without the partition in

Good luck

 

[Spring Feather]

Think positive In all my years of breeding my experience is that I have never ever had a youngster (who has never been travelled before) not walk straight into a trailer the first time. They just do because they trust you implicitly. It's usually only horses who have been travelled and have had a bad experience of it that need a little more cajolling or pussyfooting around.

 

[Louby]

I wouldnt faf about with feeding on the ramp etc. I think with a young trusting horse it may set the seed that something is 'wrong' scary with the trailer. I would aim to load straight away in a positive but carefree manner and offer a small feed in the trailer for a couple of days, then progress to going for a short journey. I would load with no partitions to make it more inviting at first.
The babys at our yard had no issues with walking straight up the ramp, having a small feed, spending about 15 mins in their and coming out calmly again. They had no bad experiences so didnt worry about it. They did sweat on their first few journeys but soon settled down
Good luck

 

[Blondie1]

Thanks guys. So partition out, load, short drive and feed when home.

Should I leave front ramp up when I load?

Obviously with the partition out there will be no breast bars, is that ok as I don't have a full width one : )

 

[Spring Feather]

I'd leave the front ramp up. You will need to leave your partition in then as you must have a breast bar in place to transport horses in a trailer. I wouldn't move the partition over, I'd just ask the horse to walk straight into his side of the trailer. If the horse trusts you, he'll go.

 

[gryff]

I did the slowly, slowly approach with mine. Fed him on the ramp the first day, then On day 2, he decided he was going to match straight in. In retrospect, I should have just stopped there and travelled him. Instead, I fed him on there every morning and night, thinking it would lead to a more sustainably good experience for him. However, one night, kids came running towards the trailer and really scared him - he absolutely whacked his head on the breast bar, reared up, charged down the ramp, galloped to his stable - i've never had him back on the trailer since, despite a lot of patience and gadgets.

 

[Blondie1]

Ah gryff what a shame. I have a tendency to think too much and faff. I won't faff with this though. I'm getting very excited so I will be confident and positive all the way : )

 

[becca1305]

Im not sure tbh RE breast bars. All I can say is my mare travelled beautifully in the trailer cross tied loosely without a breast bar and no partitions whilst we were awaiting the lorry being built. and the 2 yo travelled fine in the back of the lorry entirely loose (10ftx8ft). For a short journey especially I can't see as it would do any harm without particularly if you cross tie loosely but as I say Im no expert just going on past experience.

If you leave the partition in I would probably leave the front partition done up with breast bar on so you can duck underneath and get out the way, and have the back flap opened and secured back so that the space looks more open and inviting with someone on hand to close it gently but relatively swiftly once you have ducked under the breast bar and are stood to onside.

I think many things are personal choice tbh the only thing I would do for certain is make everything clear and just crack on quietly as others have said she has no reason to distrust the trailer (particularly if she's used to a stable) unless you make a big deal out of it .

 

[iconique]

I believe its illegal to travel without a breast bar? As there is nothing to stop the horse coming forward?

 

[MissSBird]

If you don't have a full breast bar, please don't travel without a partition. It's there for a reason - incase you have an accident and your horse gets thrown forwards.

You can always open the back half to give more room when loading, and close it up when you set off?

 

[becca1305]

^^ thats probably true for proper journeys but if you are merely crawling around the drive/yard etc I doubt it will matter. Depends what you choose to do for your first "trip" . Sorry I should have explained with my mare instead of buying an expensive full breast bar since the lorry was being built (and they are harder to get hold of), we had a longer stall chain (with rubber covering) clipped so it just had a little give to offer her support as well as being cross tied. Don't have a clue about the legalities but may be a good short term solution if you did wish to travel partitionless for the first very short journeys. However I think she will get used to the partitions from the off easily enough

 

[Spring Feather]

Don't have a clue about the legalities

The legalities are when you transport a horse in a horse trailer you must have a breast bar in place http://www.southernhorse.co.uk/downloads/horseboxinfo.pdf
I don't actually know why people fuff about so much when trailering youngsters for the first time. I just get on with it without farting around making more potential problems with partitions being moved or feeding inside it. These youngsters don't have a clue that partitions move or that they should be fed inside the trailer. These are problems that man creates or has to deal with because some other numpty prior to them made mistakes by making trailering more complicated than it is. This is a young horse who has never been trailered before. It has absolutely no pre-conceived ideas of what is in store and if you do it without all this moving stuff around then they just accept it.

 

[JanetGeorge]

I don't actually know why people fuff about so much when trailering youngsters for the first time. I just get on with it without farting around making more potential problems with partitions being moved or feeding inside it.

I would agree - with the vast majority of youngsters! But there ARE exceptions - and it isn'y easy to guess which one is going to be the exception! It's often the one you least expect.

I tend to teach a 'batch' of youngsters at the same time. Set up the trailer - without partition - and with breast bar out and front ramp down (horses have to be taught to UNload as well as load!)

I have two people with two youngsters and they approach the ramp together - whichever goes up first goes up - and the second follows. I walk them through in that order several times, and then let the 2nd to load go first. Then we bring up the next two. I've had up to 5 youngsters walking - one after the other - up, through, down. A few pats and a handful of nuts helps make it a fun game! That does for the first lesson.

After that, if I need to travel one they are no problem to load with partitions in. A haynet is a good reason to stand. But the most important thing is to make the first journey a GOOD one. Bad loaders are created by lousy drivers!

 

[Blondie1]

I won't travel without a breast bar don't worry. I didn't think it sounded safe/right.

I know i'm thinking too much about it. Just really don't want to screw this up. All your comments have given me that positive vibe to crack on quietly and confidently. Thanks again everyone.
Fingers crossed I won't have to post in the next few days asking any more advice : )

 

[overtherainbow]

my youngster was hesitant to load taking home from the sales- not naughty but just had to move one foot at a time. 6 months later having not needed to try again, but he had had many oppertunities to watch my others load and unload from his stable, we just tried again and he was perfect i think it just took some reassurance that every time you hop in one you arent sold!